Many modern WordPress websites automatically generate XML sitemaps even without installing an SEO plugin. These sitemaps help search engines discover website content more efficiently, including pages, blog posts, products, and categories. However, not every automatically generated sitemap provides SEO value.

Some WordPress websites unintentionally expose low-value or unnecessary URLs such as:

  • user author archives
  • WooCommerce product tags
  • reusable Gutenberg blocks
  • thin taxonomy pages
  • empty archives

In this guide, we will show how to safely disable unwanted WordPress core XML sitemaps while keeping important sitemap entries active. This tutorial is designed for website owners, administrators, developers, and even non-technical users managing WordPress websites.

Understanding the WordPress core XML sitemap

Starting from WordPress 5.5, WordPress automatically includes a built-in XML sitemap feature even without installing an SEO plugin.

The default sitemap is commonly located at:

/wp-sitemap.xml

You may see a message similar to:

“This XML Sitemap is generated by WordPress to make your content more visible for search engines.”

This feature is part of WordPress core itself and automatically generates XML sitemap files for:

  • blog posts
  • pages
  • WooCommerce products
  • categories
  • tags
  • users/authors
  • other registered content types

For many small websites, this default sitemap system is already sufficient for basic search engine indexing. However, website owners should also understand that the WordPress core sitemap system can sometimes overlap or conflict with dedicated SEO plugins.

Examples include:

  • Rank Math SEO
  • Yoast SEO
  • All in One SEO

These SEO plugins often generate their own separate sitemap structures, commonly using:

/sitemap_index.xml

In some cases:

  • the plugin automatically disables the WordPress core sitemap
  • both sitemap systems remain active simultaneously
  • duplicate sitemap entries may appear
  • unnecessary or low-value pages may get indexed

This is why many website administrators choose to either:

  • fully use the default WordPress sitemap system
  • or fully switch to an SEO plugin sitemap system

Running multiple sitemap systems at the same time is usually not recommended unless carefully configured.

Before making sitemap changes, always verify:

  • which sitemap system is currently active
  • which sitemap URL is submitted in Google Search Console
  • whether duplicate sitemap structures exist
  • whether unwanted archive pages are being indexed

A cleaner and properly managed sitemap structure can help improve crawl efficiency and technical SEO organization.

Why remove some sitemap entries?

Not every automatically generated page helps your SEO.

Some pages may:

  • create duplicate or thin content
  • waste crawl budget
  • expose unnecessary URLs
  • dilute SEO value
  • clutter search engine indexing

Common sitemap entries that many websites disable include:

  • user archives
  • product tags
  • reusable blocks
  • attachment pages

For WooCommerce websites especially, removing low-value archives can improve overall crawl efficiency.

Examples of sitemap entries usually retained

Most websites should generally keep important content types such as:

/wp-sitemap-posts-post-1.xml
/wp-sitemap-posts-page-1.xml
/wp-sitemap-posts-product-1.xml
/wp-sitemap-taxonomies-category-1.xml
/wp-sitemap-taxonomies-product_cat-1.xml

These typically include:

  • blog posts
  • website pages
  • WooCommerce products
  • product categories
  • important taxonomies

Examples of sitemap entries commonly removed

Some websites may choose to disable sitemap entries such as:

/wp-sitemap-users-1.xml
/wp-sitemap-posts-blocks-1.xml
/wp-sitemap-taxonomies-product_tag-1.xml

These may contain:

  • author/user pages
  • reusable Gutenberg blocks
  • WooCommerce product tags

Depending on the website structure, these pages may provide little SEO benefit.

Before making changes

Before editing WordPress files:

  • create a full backup
  • backup your theme files
  • ensure you are using a child theme
  • clear cache after changes

We strongly recommend using a child theme instead of editing the main parent theme directly. This helps preserve your customizations during future WordPress or theme updates.

Step 1 — Locate your child theme functions.php

Using:

  • cPanel File Manager
  • FTP
  • hosting file manager

Navigate to:

/wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/

Locate:

functions.php

If the file is empty, that is perfectly fine.

Step 2 — Add the sitemap customization code

Insert the following code into your child theme’s functions.php file:

<?php

/**
* Disable unwanted WordPress core XML sitemaps
*/


/**
* Remove Users sitemap
*/
add_filter( 'wp_sitemaps_add_provider', function( $provider, $name ) {

if ( 'users' === $name ) {
return false;
}

return $provider;

}, 10, 2 );


/**
* Remove reusable blocks sitemap
*/
add_filter( 'wp_sitemaps_post_types', function( $post_types ) {

unset( $post_types['wp_block'] );
unset( $post_types['blocks'] );

return $post_types;

}, 999 );


add_filter( 'wp_sitemaps_posts_query_args', function( $args, $post_type ) {

if ( 'wp_block' === $post_type || 'blocks' === $post_type ) {
return false;
}

return $args;

}, 10, 2 );


/**
* Remove WooCommerce product tags sitemap
*/
add_filter( 'wp_sitemaps_taxonomies', function( $taxonomies ) {

unset( $taxonomies['product_tag'] );

return $taxonomies;

});

Step 3 — Save and clear website cache

After saving the file:

  • clear WordPress cache plugins
  • clear LiteSpeed or server cache
  • clear Cloudflare cache
  • clear browser cache

This ensures the sitemap updates properly.

Step 4 — Test your sitemap

Visit:

/wp-sitemap.xml

The unwanted sitemap entries should no longer appear.

You can also test removed sitemap URLs directly.

Example:

/wp-sitemap-users-1.xml

Ideally, these should now return a 404 page or no longer exist.

Is this safe for future WordPress updates?

Yes, this method is generally safe because it uses official WordPress hooks and filters.

However, always:

  • use a child theme
  • avoid editing parent themes directly
  • keep backups before changes

This allows your customizations to remain intact after theme updates.

Alternative option: Use an SEO plugin instead

Many website owners eventually switch to dedicated SEO plugins such as:

  • Rank Math SEO
  • Yoast SEO
  • All in One SEO

These plugins usually provide easier sitemap controls directly from the WordPress admin interface without manually editing code.

They also include additional SEO features such as:

  • meta titles and descriptions
  • schema markup
  • redirects
  • robots.txt management
  • Open Graph tags
  • sitemap exclusions
  • noindex controls
  • breadcrumbs
  • 404 monitoring

When using an SEO plugin, it is often recommended to let the plugin fully manage the sitemap instead of using the default WordPress core sitemap simultaneously.

Final thoughts

WordPress core XML sitemaps are useful and beginner-friendly, but not every automatically generated sitemap is beneficial for

SEO.Cleaning up low-value sitemap entries can help:

  • improve crawl efficiency
  • reduce thin content indexing
  • simplify search engine discovery
  • maintain a cleaner technical SEO structure

For growing websites, especially WooCommerce stores and large content websites, proper sitemap optimization remains an important part of technical SEO maintenance.

Need assistance with WordPress SEO optimization, sitemap cleanup, WooCommerce SEO, or technical website maintenance?

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